Ventilating hatch foe boats



July 19, 1949. w. coo 2,476,402

VENTILATING HATCH FOR BOATS Filed Aug. 5, 1947 I l l l FF- INVENTOR. RAYMo/vQ W COOK j BY W fia/ufl A T TORNf Y5 Patented July 19 1949 VENTILATING HATCH FOR BOATS Raymond W. Cook, Bristol,-Conn.;- Bristol Bank and Trust Company and Richard B.Ck executors of said Raymond W. Cook, deceased Application August 5, 1947, Serial No. 766,278

4 Claims.

This invention has to do With boat hatches and is particularly intended to provide a hatch structure through which the interior of the boat may be ventilated while the hatch is in a closed position.

It is well known to provide a hatch cover which may be adjusted to a fully closed position or to various open positions. The principal disadvantage of such hatch covers is that they provide no means for ventilating the boat when the cover is in closed position, as it is in heavy seas or rainy weather or when the boat is in port and is locked.

It has therefore been the principal object of this invention to provide a hatch havin a cover which may occupy the usual fully open and closed positions of such covers and, in addition, may occupy another position in which the main hatch opening is closed but air is permitted to flow to the interior of the boat while rain or seawater is prevented from entering, thus simultaneously providing the protection of a closed hatch and ventilation for the interior of the boat. A further object of the invention has been to provide latch means for a hatch cover which will positively support the cover in fully open, fully closed, and ventilating positions and will also releasably lock the cover in each of such positions.

All of these objects and others have been achieved by the present invention, one embodiment of which is disclosed in the following specification and the accompanying drawings, It will be understood, however, that such specification and drawings are only illustrative of the invention and impose no limitationthereon not imposed by the appended claims.

Referring to the drawings, in which similar reference numerals refer to like parts,

Fig. 1 is a vertical sectional view of a hatch construction according to the invention, the cover being shown in the closed position;

Fig. 2 is a like view showing the hatch cover in a position in which it is closed but permits air to flow to the interior of the boat;

Fig. 3 is a like view showing the hatch cover in fully open position, and

Fig. 4 is a partial elevation of the hatch coaming.

In the disclosed embodiment of the invention illustrated in the drawings, the deck I has a hatch opening 2 therein which is surrounded and defined by a coaming 3 which is mounted on and attached to the upper surface of the deck I and is L-shaped in cross-section with the lower, horizontal part thereof extending outwardly. A hatch cover 4 is provided and has a flat top and depending peripheral sides 5 which are adapted to rest on thehori'zontalportion of the coaming and surround'the'vertical part thereof when the cover is closed. As illustrated'in Figs. 1 and 3 respectively, the cover may be moved to completely closed and completely open positions as is usual with covers of this type.

Means are provided by this invention for permitting the passage of air to the interior of the boat while the cover is in a closed position in or der to ventilate the interior of the boat when it is locked up in port or running in heavy seas or rainy weather. Such means comprise one or more passagesfi formed in the coaming which are L-shaped in vertical section and have a horizontal part which opens to the outside air at l on the vertical outer surface of the loWer horizontal part of the coaming and a vertical part which opens at 8 in the upper surface of the vertical part of the coaming. These passages are preferably elongated along the length of the sides of the'coaming andin the disclosed embodiment of the invention two of them are formed in each side ofthe rectangular coaming. It will be seen that if the cover is moved to a position in which one or more of the depending sides thereof is raised just sufiiciently to uncover the openin '5 of some or all of the passages 6, air will enter such passages through openings 1 and will flow through the passage and openings 8' into the interior of the boat. This position of the cover is illustrated in Fig. 2 of the drawings, in which the flow of air through a passage 6 is indicated by the arrows. In this position of the cover the lower edges of thede'pending sides 5 of the cover will overlap the vertical side walls of the coaming and therefore. prevent air from passing into or through the main hatch opening 2 except through passages 6. The cover will prevent water from entering the main hatch opening and the rightangular shape of the passages 6 will prevent water from passing through these to the interior of the boat. It will be seen that the passages 6 permit the cover to be kept in an essentially closed position while also permitting ventilation of the interior of the boat.

Means are provided by the invention for releaseably holding the hatch cover in each of the three positions to which it may be adjusted. Such means comprise a latch device In which is pivotally mounted on a plate 12 secured to an inner wall of the hatch and which has a central body part l4 from which extend three legs l6, I8, 29, which are of dlfierent lengths. Each leg is provided adjacent its outer end with a notch, all

so constructed and arranged that when either of the notches is engaged with the thumb-screw it is positioned substantially verticallyabove the pivotal support of the latch, whereby the vertircal arm of the latch provides a: positive and solid support for the hatch coven, As. shown. in Figs. 1, 2 and 3, respectively, the hatch cover may be locked and supported in closed, ventilatin and open positions by the three arms of the latch. It will be understood that my invention, insofar as it pertains to the hatch construction, isnot. limited to the latchdisclosed in thisapplication,

In the use and operation of the invention. the hatch cover may be moved toa completely closed position to prevent. the entrance. of any air through either the hatch or the ventilating. apertures. Alternatively, the. cover may be completely opened to permit the. maximum amount of air to enter the. hatch. Or, if desired, the cover may. beadjusted. to a. third position in which it is raisedsufiiciently to uncover the passages 6 in the coaming and permit. air to. pass therethrough to the interior of the boat While at the same time, preventing rain or. sea-water from entering through the hatch.

All of the foregoing and other advantages. are produced by this invention. While I have described and illustrated. various. features and embodiments of. my invention, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that other embodiments or modifications may be made, all of which may be done without departingin. any way from the spirit or scope of the invention; for the limits of which reference must be had' to the appended claims. 7

What is claimed is:

1. Ventilating means for a boat. or the like having a deck, comprising a coaming'surrounding and defining a hatch: opening in. the deck and having a part extending" above the. upper surface of the deck which. has an outer peripheral wall and an upper surface and. having formed therein at least one passage which opens to atmosphere at its ends through. said outer peripheral wall and upper. surface of the-coaming respectively, and. a cover for the hatch opening having a depending wall about its periphery of such size as to closely abut the outer periphery of the part of the coaming above the deck when in closed position and being movable to a lower position surrounding the coaming and closing the outer peripheral wall opening of said passage, to an upper position inwhich the hatch opening is uncovered, and to an intermediate position in which the outer peripheral wall opening of said passage is uncovered and the depending wall of the cover partially overlaps the upper part of the coaming whereby the hatch opening is closed by said cover but is communicated to the outside air through said passage and means for selectively supporting the'cover in each of said three positions.

2. Ventilating means according to claim 1 comprising, in addition, means for selectively locking the cover in each of said three positions.

3. Ventilating means according to claim 2, in which the locking and. supporting means comprise a latch member pivotally mounted on the inner wall of the coaming and having three arms of unequal length extending therefrom in different directions and each having a notch in the outer end thereof, and. a thumb-screw on the cover positioned and constructedto be selectively engaged by the notches in. said, three arms. and to. be thereafter tightened to thereby positively hold and support the cover in said. three positions.

4.. Ventilating. means according to claim 2, in which the locking and supporting meanscomprise a latch member pivotally mounted on the inner wall of the coaming and having three substantially straight arms of unequal length extending therefrom in different directions and each having a notch in the outer end thereof, and a thumb-screw on the. cover positioned substantially vertically above the pivotal support of the latch member and constructed to be selectively engaged by the notches in said three arms and to be thereafter tightened to thereby positively hold and support the cover in said three positions.

RAYMOND W. COOK.

REFERENCES CITED The following referenices. are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 2,328,659 McKenna Sept. '7, 1943 2,372,164 Woodhams Mar. 20, 1945 

